The invention described herein is a new and distinct variety of Aphelandra plant discovered by me in the greenhouses of Hickerson Flowers, Inc. at Altamonte Springs, Fla. The new variety was obtained as a sport from Aphelandra squarrosa "Apollo"(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,507, dated Mar. 5, 1974). The new variety was selected by me as a single variant plant from a crop of the parent variety being grown under my direction and control.
The sport was noted and selected due to its unique foliar pigmentation. The sport is distinct from the parent variety "Apollo" and from all other Aphelandra varieties of which I am aware in having a red pigment providing the principal color to the leaf midrib, petiole, and lower leaf blade surface. The presence of red pigmentation results in a desirably striking and commercially valuable contrast between darkly pigmented and white to lightly pigmented areas of the variegated foliage.
Asexual reproduction of my new Aphelandra variety was performed by me by cuttings at Altamonte Springs, Fla., with its distinct and characteristic traits stable and perpetuated through successive propagations.